Bib No. 3425 - 2:11:36

I ran a 2:11!!! I ran a 2:11!!! I am sooooo happy with my finishing time. My goal was to run it under 2:30, but I was thinking it would be more in the range of 2:30, 2:45. When I saw the finishing line clock, I thought it was totally wrong. Stefanie, Simone, Lauren, and I finished it together. I surely couldn't have done it without them, that's for sure. I mostly walked up the Woodward Park hill and started walking again in front of Panera, until they all started yelling, "C'mon, Cassy, you can do it." They were my support team, and they got me across the finish line all in one piece, though that one piece is made up now of very sore pieces.

Here are some of the 1/2ers prerace. Christal is kneeling with me, Stef is the girl in the black ear cover, and Simone is the shortest girl. (Where's Lauren?) Robb and Daryl, my Sat running buddies, are the two guys on left.

Below are GE and hubby Dave postrace. Since I thought I wouldn't come in until 2:30+, I told Dave not to come down until then so he wouldn't have to stand around for two hours. So when I finished, of course, he wasn't there. He felt really bad that he wasn't there, and I knew he felt bad b/c he hung around with for another three hours waiting for the fullers to finish!

GE didn't run the 66 b/c he is preparing for the 50K trail race at Sunmart in TX the first weekend of December. I'm glad he didn't run b/c he came in real handy during the race. He met us at the three-mile mark and took my gloves, jacket, and Garmin and some of Robb's stuff too. He later met up with me at mile 10 in Woodward Park. He thought it was really funny to see me suffering.

At this point in the pic, I have already changed into dry clothes and have on a hoodie, windbreaker, stocking cap, and gloves. I was freezing and could not get warm!!! I think this was taken too after I had eaten my postrace meal of two pieces of bread with butter, a hotdog, and Sunkist. I later had a cookie and honeybun. I was so hungry!

Mom and Dad came out to watch too. They were at mile marker three as well yelling us on, but I didn't hear them. I didn't know where at the finish line they would be, so I didn't look for them. Mom told me she and GE were yelling at me as I was about to cross the finish. It wasn't until I heard Dad yell, "Lu!" that I knew they were there. (Lulu is Dad's nickname for me.) I had passed them at this point but raised my arm to wave to let him know I heard him. Mom was still laughing last night that out of all the revelers, I heard Dad's voice and acknowledged him. (No, Dad had not been hunting before coming to the race. He dresses for warmth!!)

After I got my bearings, I made it to the sidelines to watch the fullers come in. The first one I saw was Larry Long.

Here is a picture of my running bud Jen and her BF Keith. They finished ahead of us at 2:09.

Keith, Jen, Dana, me, Daryl, and Robb postrace

Lisa brings it home

Kendal finishes strong

Marvin is looking mah-velous. Boomer would be proud.

I'm so proud of Jenni. She did a fantastic job.

Erin was almost too fast for the camera

You can beat him, Kim!!

Ed in his infamous do-rag

First-time marathoner Linda waves at the crowd

And last but not least, Bobby "Hollywood" Michaels finishes his first, but not his last, marathon. Ken paced Bobby throughout the race, holding a sign for all 26.2 miles that read "Clap for Bobby." Bobby said he never heard so many cheers of encouragment.

Here is Bobby heading towards the finish with Ken on his left and Mike (a/k/a Firepants) on his right. Soon after I took this picture, a whole slew of RW runners ran out to Bobby and crossed the finish line with him. It was an awesome moment of camaraderie.

Ken takes off his shoe to inspect his souvenier from the 100-miler last weekend: a big-toe wound.

TATUR Dave and Coach Kathy rest after everyone makes it in. Dave admitted that he didn't have a good race, but he set a new PR!! After pacing Kathy 40 miles at the Mother Road 100-miler last weekend and running 26+ miles today, give yourself a big ole hug, Dave, for you are truly amazing.

What are Deon and Candice looking at?

Dana, Ken's crew babe and wife, and RW Monday night runner Michael surround Ken as he takes a load off.

Lisa ponders her next raceHere is my race breakdown:

A big group of us started off together, 11 in all: Stefanie; her niece, Sarah; Lauren; Simone; Christal; Robb; Daryl; Jen; Keith; Amanda; and me. We had numbered ourselves and were calling them out at every mile marker to see if we were all still together. It was fun doing that, but only lasted till about mile four when we lost No. 5, Christal. We kept counting off and had several people asking us what was going on. They though it was pretty neat when we told them. We eventually lost No. 11, Amanda, but picked up No. 12, Cindy, going north on Riverside.

I felt pretty good to the turnaround. I had blocked out the bystanders and was keeping up pretty well. It was at this time I was getting really thirsty. I was drinking at every water stop but couldn't seem to get enough. I started popping Stingers going north on Riverside before hitting the stops which helped a little. We lost Cindy along this part.

I was really losing it once I turned onto Woodward. Jen and Keith ran ahead of us at this point, and Daryl dropped back with Rob, so it was just Simone, Stef, Lauren, and me (Sarah ran ahead of us at some point and finished in 2:03. She is so fast!). They really kept me going. I kept dropping further and further behind them, catching up at the water stops. These neighborhood hills were killers!! I walked up most of the Woodward Park hill. At the top, they slowed to wait on me. (I love these girls!!!) Someone said, "Isn't that your brother?" And there he was, with a big smile on his face, laughing at my pain. He ran off before we hit Terwilliger.

At this point, it was all mental. I told Lauren I needed to talk to take my mind off of my heavy and tight legs and parched throat, said that she didn't have to answer, just listen. I ended up telling her my life story up to the eighth grade when we hit a water stop. I took two cups of water and that still wasn't enough, but I was afraid to overdrink.

I finished my story, when I turned 24 and moved to Tulsa, when we hit 21st and Utica. I knew from our mock run that once I hit this intersection, it was all downhill from here. Unfortunately, I remembered it being a lot more downhill than it actually was. The run down Utica was heaven, but the run up it to 15th was hell. I turned the corner and started walking around Panera. That's when everyone encouraged me some more. Then I saw the girl with the pink t-shirt. The back said, "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Phil. 4:13." That was all I needed to be able to pick it back up again.

I walked again around Marquette, I think, and the girls were again there for me, yelling that I could make it. We made it to the water stop and I knew this was going to be our last one. The downhill on 15th to Boston felt so good to my legs.

Turning the corner onto Boston, 18th looked so far away, but I ran that sucker, not walking once. By this time, my mind was numb, but I knew there were no more hills.

Turned right on 18th and saw up ahead the last corner to make it to the finish line. I saw Kathy sitting on the curb. I wish I would have seen her sooner and I would have stopped to give her a hug. When I first started training, I remember her telling me that she once trained a guy in a year to run a marathon. I thought this guy must have been a natural runner to be able to do it. I don't know his circumstances, but Kathy made me a 1/2 'thoner in six months.

Take a left and there it is, the finish banner. I have a mental picture of the bystanders yelling and clapping, but all I was focused on was the clock and crossing that blue mat. There, I did it. I finished my first 1/2!!! The guy who came up to me to put the silver blanket around me was so kind. He asked if I was okay, if I needed anything. I felt at that time that no one had been more caring.

I skipped the food tent as I saw Mom, Dad, and GE coming towards me, so I hobbled to them to get congratulatory hugs.

An hour or so later, with them gone and Dave there, I hang out with my friends and we swap running stories. I had so much fun. Now they are trying to talk me into running the full at the OKC Memorial run. Since even stepping one step onto my porch is painful, and when I go out Tuesday night, I will more than likely walk the training, the Memorial run seems so far away, but I won't rule it out.

Later Sunday night, I get online to look at the results, and my name isn't posted. I was livid!! I end up calling Fleet Feet Monday afternoon to see what I need to do. I check the list one more time just to make sure and pleasantly find that my name is now listed among the runners. I am official. I didn't make the paper's list today, but that's okay since they list the starting clock times instead of the actual finishing times.

What great running memories, especially this morning as I was getting my massage. :o) Thanks to RW and all of my running partners.